Genesis 40-48: Mission Impossible? Maybe Not!

Genesis 44:8-9 Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold? 9 With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen. Genesis 44:32-34 For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever. 33 Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren. 34 For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.

Today we are taking a look at what I consider to be one of the clearest references to our responsibilities as Christians found in the Old Testament. In this promise of Judah we see foreshadowings of both Christ's mission and our ministry.

Joseph's brothers are preparing for the second trip to Egypt to buy food and they have run into a problem. Joseph requires that they bring Benjamin, their youngest brother, when they return but Jacob will not let Benjamin accompany them. Reuben offers his two sons as security for Benjamin (42:37) but this offer is summarily refused by Jacob. Then Judah offers himself as security for Benjamin and promises that he will bring Benjamin back to his father or bear the blame for it forever.

Pretty straight forward story right? Well in this story is a marvelous picture of the Lord Jesus and His mission here on earth. When we realize that the Lord is descended from Judah as is indicated by the reference to Him as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.). So here we see the Lord Jesus' mission to come to earth and bring the Father's rebellious creatures back to the Father as sons and daughters (John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:).

So where do you and I fit into this equation? It's simple. John 20:21 reads Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. We are like the other brothers who accompanied Judah on this perilous journey. We are to bring those whom the Lord gives the power to become sons and daughters safely to the Father. This means we should be spending our time going with the Gospel and growing in Grace until the image of Christ is stamped upon us and seen by all.

Here's the rub. If we do not go with the Gospel and do not grow in Grace then these will not be brought to the Father by us and we will be forced to bear the shame of this failure forever. Not only that, but perhaps the Lion of the Tribe of Judah will share in this shame considering we went out into this ministry through His Blood, by His Power, in His Image and failed the Father. Maybe we ought to reevaluate how seriously we take the Lord's command in Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Daily Devotional: Deuteronomy 11:13-21 Obedience from Love

Genesis 33-40: The Secret Ingredient

Genesis 38:24-26 And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt. 25 When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff. 26 And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.

This is one of the passages that seem to be nothing more than an interruption in the flow of the narrative. Here in the middle of the record of the life of Joseph, the great patriarch, is this record of Judah's illicit affair with Tamar his daughter-in-law. So what's this all about?

Well it goes like this. Judah takes Tamar as a wife for his oldest son, Er, who dies without fathering a child. Jewish law requires that his brother marry her and produce an heir for his older brother. Onan, the second son, marries her then he dies. Judah is now left with one son and an obligation to give Tamar as a wife to that son. So Judah sends Tamar to her father's house to wait for Shelah to grow up. During this time Judah perhaps put 2+2 together and came up with 17. He may have blamed Tamar for the death of Er and Onan since she was the apparent common ingredient in the life of both sons. God, however, lets us know that the secret ingredient was sin, disobedience to God, in the deaths of both Er (38:7) and Onan (38:9-10). So Judah laboring under this misconception decides not to give Tamar to Shelah. Now as time goes on, Judah's wife dies and he goes down to Tamar's hometown and mistakes her for a harlot and purchases her services and goes in unto her. Three months later Tamar is expecting a child and everyone knows it. What is Judah's reaction to this news? Burn her with fire! Problem, Tamar presents the signet and staff of Judah revealing that he is the father of the child that she is expecting. Suddenly Judah has a change of heart and remembers that none of this would have happened if he had given Tamar as a wife to Shelah as God required. So what's in this for us?

Maybe like Judah, we are harshly condemning others for some apparent sin in their lives without realizing that we are the secret ingredient in their sin. Perhaps they are not willing to attend church because of the hypocrites and we are the hypocrites that they are talking about. We are asking them to give up this and that for Christ but they don't see anything we are denying ourselves today for Christ. Perhaps they are living inconsistent lives of pledging allegiance to Christ one day and the world the next. Could it be that our unfaithfulness and unwillingness to trust God in every situation evidenced by an up today and down tomorrow attitude, is the secret ingredient that keeps fueling their inconsistent living? Well I think we get the point. Maybe before calling for the firing squad we should ask the LORD to show us what ingredients in our lives are effecting the lives of the person in question. I was brought face to face with the need to do this when talking to a person last week and they informed me that whenever they see someone in their family, church, or sphere of influence actions or attitudes begin to take on an unhealthy, unbiblical tint, they always ask the LORD what they might be doing to influence this persons actions or attitudes. We may be surprised what God shows us, but we should not be surprised that God calls us to confess it, repent, and FIX IT instead of ignoring it.

Daily Devotional: Leviticus 20:7-27 Punishment for Sin

Genesis 25-32: What Are You Looking At?

This passage of Scripture deals with the lives of Esau and Jacob of whom the Lord declared, "Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated". This seems like strong words but as we look at the character of these two men in their early lives we get a hint of what character traits we are to cultivate if we are going to please God.

Genesis 25:29-34 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: 30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. 31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. 32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? 33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

In these verses there is a valuable lesson for all of us. Esau has returned from a long hunt. He is famished and finds that Jacob has cooked bread and lentils. It would be like coming home from a long trek in the woods to find the wonderful fragrance of red beans, rice, and cornbread assaulting your senses. Esau wants this food but there is something that Esau has that Jacob wants as well--his birthright. Now the birthright of the oldest son was two-thirds of all the father possessed regardless of how many siblings he had. For Esau this would also mean that the prophesied Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, would be his descendant. Esau willingly traded all of this for a bowl of beans and a piece of cornbread. So why did God record this in the Bible?

You and I can be challenged by this narrative to examine our priorities and our method of prioritizing. Do we make our decisions based on immediate gratification like Esau or do we look at the eternal consequences of our decisions? It is very easy for us to live our lives and even "serve God" like Esau looking for and only doing what brings immediate pleasure. This is the reason the Gospel is not proclaimed throughout the cities we live in and that churches close due to lack of interest and participation. The Bible directs us to set our hearts on things above not things on the earth if we are really Disciples of the Lord Jesus (Colossians 3:1-2 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.).

Jacob looked past the momentary discomfort and risks to prepare for the future. This meant 14 years of labor for a wife and 7 years of labor with uncertain wages for his cattle and herds but he endured looking to the future benefits. This is the character trait that we must cultivate. We must learn to live for eternal results instead of temporary pleasures. For example, Bible reading, study, and memorization may not be all fun now but our ability to utilize the word of God to witness and minister to others will reap eternal benefits as men repent, believe the Gospel, and become worshipers of our great God. Are you living for the moment or do you patiently continue in doing right even when there is no immediate gratification? This will mean pushing ourselves. This will mean denying ourselves. This will mean selfless service to others. Let us labor to cultivate this attitude because we have the promise of God that if we continue in well-doing that we will reap if we faint not.

Daily Devotional: Leviticus 5:14-19 Sacrifice Required Under Law

Genesis 17-24: The Gospel in Genesis

There are many that hold that the Gospel and Grace are something new that God reveals in the New Testament. Nothing could be farther from the truth. We see God's marvelous grace demonstrated throughout the Scriptures even if it is not called that and the Gospel is woven throughout the fabric of the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. Genesis 22 is one of those passages that serve as a lesson in the Gospel long before the writings of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Genesis 22 is a narrative of Abraham's offering of Isaac as a sacrifice to the Lord. In this narrative we see many parallels to God the Father's offering of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as propitiation for sin. Let us take a look at a few of those parallels as we unpack the Gospel of God in Genesis.

Abraham is called in 22:2 to offer Isaac his only Son as a burnt offering for sin on a mountain that God will show him. This is a foreshadowing of God's offering of His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, (John 3:16) as an offering for sin. In 22:4 we see that Abraham must take a three day journey to get to the place where the offering will be made. Where have we heard of three days in the Gospel? That's right the Lord Jesus declared that for three days and three nights he would be in the heart of the earth (Matthew 12:40) after dying on Calvary. In 22:6 we see Isaac carrying the wood that he would be laid on as an offering to God up the hill. Does this not call to our remembrance the Lord Jesus' walk up Calvary bearing the cross that he would be crucified upon (John 19:16-18) for our sins. Verse 9 finds Isaac bound to the wood ready to be offered as a sacrifice much like the Lord was bound to the rugged cross (Mark 15:25) to give Himself an offering for our sins. Abraham in 22:10 stretches forth the knife to slay his son. Here Abraham and you and I are brought face to face with what our salvation required of God the Father. It required that God the Father kill His only begotten Son to justify sinners. What a wonderful picture of the Gospel!

I read a blog written by someone yesterday describing this scene in the most unflattering terms. She claimed to be an atheist and determined that God would have no right to place such a requirement upon anyone and that she would not esteem obedience to God worth more than any one of her two children. She said that anyone who would ask such a thing would be a lunatic. These statements show that she has missed the entire message of Genesis 22. The message is not that God wants us to sacrifice our children for our sins. The message is that God was willing to pay a higher price for our salvation than even we are willing to pay for our salvation. God gave Abraham back his son Isaac and gave a ram caught in the thicket as a substitute but that substitute would cost God far more than the price of a ram because that ram was just a foreshadowing of the day that God would give His Son as the payment for our sins. Selfishness blinded the writer to the selflessness of God in the Gospel and robbed her of the blessing of salvation. Maybe the challenge for us today is do we see the requirements of God upon us for service and obedience as the demands of a lunatic, or do we see them as the selfless request of a gracious God who has already given us His All? Could it be that we too have some things that we think are more precious than the Lord Jesus Christ? Are we willing to follow Abraham's example and give all to the Lord, or will we like the blogger hold on selfishly to what God has given us and miss the blessing of eternal life and peace with God that God wants to give us?

Daily Devotional: Exodus 20:1-17 The Law of God

Genesis 9-16: King of Salem or King of Sodom

Genesis 14:14-24 And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan. 15 And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. 16 And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people. 17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale. 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. 19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: 20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. 21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. 22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, 23 That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich: 24 Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.

In the above passage we are introduced to two individuals that are typical of the two greatest characters in the drama of life. The King of Salem or peace we know from the book of Hebrews is typical of the Lord Jesus Christ. The King of Sodom pictures for us the other king that every person must deal with. He is the tyrant King Self.

In these few verses we see the difference in the type of lives they offer their subjects. King of Salem comes to His subjects offering to bless them. He comes to Abram with bread and wine to refresh him after the day's battle (14:18). King of Salem comes with a blessing upon His lips for His willing subjects (14:19). This is how the Lord Jesus comes to us. He comes to bless us with salvation and refresh us with His abiding presence. Abram is so moved by gratitude for all that he has received that he gives ten percent of all that he has to the King of Salem. There was no demand made for this offering because it was not needed. Does love and gratitude move you to give your life in rescuing others who have been taken captive by sin like Abram? Are you moved to give your every resource in service to the King that has blessed and refreshed you with salvation?

King of Sodom, the old tyrant King Self, comes with a different goal in mind. He does not come to rescue those who have been taken captive, but when the captive has been set free he makes his presence known. King Self offers to those who will be his subjects the goods of this world (14:21b). Unlike King Jesus, King self demands the persons in exchange for the goods (14:21a). King Self simply wants to put the one who has been set free from the chains of sin into the chains of service to Self. He does not tell his unfortunate subjects that as it did the men in Sodom, Self will so chain them with the chains of self-indulgence that when struck blind they care nothing for their sight as long as they may have opportunity to gratify their selfish desires. Abram refused the goods (14:22-25) knowing he would rather serve King Jesus willingly than King Self by compulsion.

Today we may need to take the opportunity to ask the Lord to break the chains of King Self that bind us by showing us what areas of our lives have not been yielded totally to God. It may be an attitude or some unscriptural views that have not been changed. It may be a lack of yielding for service or lack of concern for the lost. It may be a selfish desire that is fostering strife. King Self offers a freedom that leads to bondage, but those who are set free by King Jesus are free indeed.


Daily Devotional: Genesis 28:10-15; 32:22-28

Genesis 1-8: The Ravages of Sin

In Genesis chapters one and two we see the creation and population of this world that God characterizes with the words "Good" and "Very Good". In to this world so unlike our world today humanity introduces the unwelcomed element of SIN in chapter three. Beginning with this chapter we see the march of sin that has continued down through the ages unhindered by anything except the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

So what did this sin take the form of in the lives of these two people? Sin entered the Garden as humanity's failed attempt at grasping the power of God to govern their lives through disobeying God (3:5-6). Sin's results are immediate and lasting. Humanity's relationship with God is severed (3:8) and their paradise is forever lost (3:17-19). The home was ravished as sin quickly brought strife (4:8-11) and selfishness (4:19) home to roost. In a flash sin had expanded its grasp, through the willing assistance of humanity, to encompass both humanity's health (5:5) resulting in physical death and the whole world (6:5-7) resulting in a cataclysmic flood taking the lives of all but eight of the human race.

The diabolical march of sin can only be stopped by a divine intervention. The ark typifies God's divine plan to deliver humanity from sin through the death of Christ on Calvary. The ark was given by God's grace according to God's specific plans and completed in the fullness of time. Those in the ark like those in Christ are saved. The only way into the ark is through the one door just as the only way into heaven is through the Lord Jesus Christ the One Door. Those in Christ are sealed by the Holy Spirit and those in the ark were shut in by God. The Lord Jesus must be lifted up on Calvary to purchase salvation from the wrath of God against all sin and so must the ark be lifted up on the waters to provide salvation from the wrath of God against all sin and sinners in the Great Deluge.

This narrative records the reason for all that is wrong in the world. God created it good and humanity messed it up. God offers the only solution and humanity refuses to accept that solution as man continues to go about life seeking to be like God.


Daily Devotional: Genesis 3:1-19 "The Fall of Humanity"

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